“Are you all right?” Sana asked. Even his eyes seemed glazed. His mouth was slack, with lips slightly parted. Although the firelight made his complexion difficult to judge, it seemed to her it was more pale than it had been earlier. “Luke! Are you all right?” Sana repeated. She reached forward with both hands to grip his shoulders and give him a little shake. “Talk to me, Luke! I need to know if you are all right.”

Leaning forward, Sana studied Luke’s face. His eyes, which had been recently focused on her lips, now slowly rose. She could see that he was returning to the present, wherever he’d been, but it was a disturbing present. Instead of being the happy person he’d been, he was returning angry and censorious. Before he spoke, which Sana could tell he was about to do, it suddenly dawned on her what had happened. She couldn’t help but smile, especially because now that she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why it had taken so long.

“You had an orgasm, didn’t you?” Sana questioned with relief and even humor. “I think I’m right. Well, don’t be embarrassed on my part. I think it’s terrific. Congratulations. I’ll even take it as a compliment. It is reassuring to know that someone finds me sexually attractive, even if my husband doesn’t.” Sana had carried on in an attempt to forestall embarrassment on Luke’s part, as it was her impression that he’d never had sex with a woman, not that what they had done was sex but because his response was certainly dependent on sex. It was her hope that despite the traumas he’d experienced since puberty, there was a chance he could turn out normal.

“Whore!” Luke yelled suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Sana said. She’d heard, but she didn’t want to hear such nonsense, certainly not from Luke, her special friend.

“Satan,” Luke snapped.

“Oh, really?” Sana questioned contemptuously. “So it’s like your mother and father all over again. The victim is at fault. This time it was all up here, my friend,” Sana added, while reaching out with her index finger to touch Luke’s head.

Luke viciously batted Sana’s hand away, causing her to briefly cry out in pain. “Satan’s whore,” he snapped, in the grittiest voice he could muster.

“Well, that’s that,” Sana said, babying her hand. “I thought you were doing well on the religious-fanatic chart, but I suppose I was overly hopeful about your progress. As for your welcome here, I have to warn you that it’s getting very thin. As for me, I’m going to bed with a locked door, so even if you consider apologizing, I’ll hear it tomorrow. Needless to say, I do think it in your best interest to apologize. Good night!”